Broken Seal
by Kea95
Summary: When the king of the demons Zeon is released from the Ancient Tower, things on Grans Island and Parmecia go crazy. K'taan is the only one who can stop the demons from taking over Rune, but does he have the strength to do so? (Chapters based on Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing)
1. The Tower is Open

_A/N: This is my first submission to this website. :) This is a chapter form of Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing. I did change the title, and the dialogue is varied from the game. I hope you like it! Please subscribe and let me know if I can change anything, content-wise or style-wise.  
>Also note that I do not own any part of this game. The game and original storyline belong to Sega. :)<em>

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><p><em>Chapter One: The Tower is Open<em>

The lock to the Ancient Tower jiggled and clinked midst the near-silence of a warm midnight. A storm was brewing outside – an evil storm, one that would rattle your bones and send a shudder down your spine were you anywhere near Granseal.

All Slade worried about, though, was getting into the Tower before anyone standing guard noticed. He jiggled his set of lock picks again. "Come on. Come on…"

The lock opened and started to fall. The two men behind him gasped, and he shot his hand out and caught it before it hit the ground. He tucked it in a pocket in his tattered tunic.

"Come on, Yannic; Irand." He motioned the brutes behind him forward, his voice below a whisper. He opened the door, wincing before he heard the creak. He stepped forward, placing his toes down before his heels, testing for squeaky boards or booby traps. He wiped his furry snout. _It's not easy being a rat._ He fingered his whiskers and scratched his twitching nose. He could see easily enough; it was what he could _smell_ that bothered him. Dead rats, dead bats, dead bugs and rotting wood.

_The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can be outta here._ He motioned for the thugs to stop. "Wait here. I'll scout ahead."

Yannic nodded. Irand actually spoke. "Yeah, Slade; we'll be right here."

Slade whirled back around and glared. "You idiot!" he hissed. "I didn't pay you to talk to me! I paid you to shut up and follow orders! If we are heard, we shall all be hanged." He drew his dagger. "Now, stay quiet, or I'll make it so that you'll never speak again. Are we clear?"

Irand nodded, his eyes wide and frantic. He kept his lips squeezed shut.

"Good. Now stay here, and don't move." He looked around as he sheathed the blade, his red eyes trying to take in everything around him. He could sense the eyes of many a scavenging creature on him as he walked around. He turned to the right and moved toward an opening in the wall. He reached the end of the corridor and put one of his ears to the stones. He tapped on a stone with a long fingernail.

_Nope. Nothing here. Maybe the other side…_ He turned around. The scampering of mice echoes through the great hall. He shuddered for just one second, wondering if something was wrong.

Thunder roared outside. The Tower shook. He could hear stones fall off the top of the Tower, to fall some 200 feet or so to the ground. He jumped and took out his knife back out. He could not help but feel like… something else was watching him. Something besides the rats and the bugs that infested this hellhole.

Something was telling him where to go. Where to find the jewels he read about in the church. He shuddered again. _This is bad. This is really bad, Slade, and you know it. This isn't for the poor. This is for someone… some_thing_ else._

But he kept walking. He kept walking to the other side of the room. Another corridor led to a door – a great stone door with strange, elaborate carvings all over it. He put his hand on the door, and it slid open without any sound. Behind it was a huge, elegant spiral staircase.

_That was too easy._ "Yannic! Irand! Come over here!" he whispered as loud as he dared. He looked over to where he knew the men were, and then he looked at the door. "I think I've found it." He pushed the door open all the way, and all his premonitions about this being wrong faded into nonexistence. He walked up the stairs, into the new room and quickly surveyed his surroundings.

The room was old, covered with dust and littered with dead things. He brushed the cobwebs out of his face and went further in. "Yannic, come on! Irand! I think I found the room!" He turned to the side and saw what he was looking for.

Two jewels sat undisturbed in an elegant glass case. The one on the left was the color of blood, and the other was as the sky and the heavens.

His heart filled with the joy of greed and contempt. "So this is what they've been hiding. After all these years…" He rubbed his hands together. "Yannic, come here. I need you to grab the jewels. Now, before anyone finds us."

Yannic stepped forward. "Yes, sir." He lifted the case and took hold of the red jewel. He tugged once. Twice. Three times.

"Slade, they're stuck! I…" He pulled again. "I can't get them!"

Irand stepped forward and pushed Yannic aside. "You dolt! Let me try." He grabbed the blue jewel the same way and pulled once. Twice. A third time. "Ugh! Yannic was right. These are stuck tight! I…" He tugged once more. "I can't do it either!" He tried one more time, and cut his hand. He grunted and pulled back. "Ow! They're sharp!" He clenched his fist and tried to staunch the slow, steady flow of blood.

Slade snarled and rolled his eyes. "You moron. Move." He strode up to the stones and pushed Irand out of the way. "The only reason I do not kill you now, is because of three reasons." He held up one finger in front of Irand's pale face. "One: I paid you both a heavy sum of gold _out of my own pocket_ to have you brought to help me." He turned to Yannic. "Two!" he growled, holding two fingers in front of Yannic's chubby face. Yannic started and paled as well. "You two dolts got me this far, and I can't leave any evidence of us being here, unless I want to lose my neck." He whipped toward the jewels once more. "Three," he whispered, "I do not have the heart, or really the power, to kill anyone, most especially those as innocent and helpful as yourselves." He cleared his throat and wrung his hands.

"Alright. Come to me, pretties." He laid his furry hands on the red jewel and tugged. He grunted as it sliced clean across his palm. "Augh!" he hissed, and he clutched his hand. He swore and glared at the stones. "Nasty little buggers, aren't they?" He chuckled and flexed his hand a few times. "Come on, little ones. Evil little jewel, trying to cut me –" He stopped. "Ah. I see." He flexed his hands and put them on the jewels again – this time, both of them at the same time. "One…" He took a breath. "Two…" He tugged the hardest he'd ever pulled on anything. "_Three!_"

The jewels came loose, and he flew across the room. His head cracked against the stone. Stars swam across his vision.

"Slade!" Yannic and Irand rushed to his side and wiped the blood from the back of the rat's head. Cracks spidered across the stone he had hit, and he had a skull to match.

Slade groaned and opened his eyes. "Ugh, I'm fine, you twits! I'm fine!" He brushed them off and stood up. "I'm Slade! I can hit walls and survive just…" He staggered and put a hand to the wall. "Just fine," he finished, out of breath. He looked at the stone he hit and shook his head. He cursed. "Well, I'll be fine. Just a few splinters, that's all." He staggered again and leaned on Yannic's shoulder. "Sorry. Just… Just get me out of here. Let's go." He swallowed. "We got what we came for."

King Gransel looked out the window for the hundredth time that night. "'Tis a very stormy night, Minister," he sighed. "Much worse than any other April storm I've ever seen."

Minister Jarrys nodded once. "Indeed, sire. Much worse." He noticed the disturbed look on the sovereign's face. "Sire, is everything… Is everything alright? You seem agitated."

"I had each window fitted with glass for this very reason, Jarrys. Do you remember?" His voice was quiet, almost contemplative. "We had a storm not quite as bad as this one a very long time ago." He stroked his long white beard and put all his weight on the elbow he rested on the armrest of his glorious throne. "When I was a young, much sprightlier prince." He chuckled and shook his head.

Jarrys smiled, if only to indulge the king. "I cannot imagine your Highness as a young prince," he teased, folding his arms.

"Ha! I was, once, old friend. But no more." He sighed and stood up, his gnarled hands shaking with age and cold. "Time for bed, I think." He faked a yawn to be more convincing.

Jarrys wasn't fooled. "My Lord, what is wrong? You've not been yourself lately."

Gransel cocked an eyebrow. _Good old Jarrys. Never fooled. That's why you're minister, and no other._ "There is something about this storm, Jarrys. Something… Something evil. I can't quite put my finger on it." He sighed. "I don't know."

Lightning flashed outside. Stones from the top of the tower plummeted to the soggy ground far below.

"Hm…" Jarrys muttered. "The Tower is becoming weaker by the year."

Gransel smiled. "It's been around since my own childhood. As far as anyone knows, it is impervious to any damage thrown at it." He chuckled. "Don't worry, Jarrys; nothing will come of it." But a shudder crept up his spine despite his comforting words. _Something is wrong. Something is very wrong…_

"King Gransel! Minister Jarrys!" A knight ran into the throne room at full speed and fell to his knees before the king. "News comes from the Ancient Tower!"

Gransel motioned for the knight to rise. It was clear that this could not wait. "Speak."

The knight took a deep breath and coughed. "The… The doors to the Tower! They are open, sire!"

Minister Jarrys paled and looked at the king. "What does that mean, your Highness?" he breathed.

Gransel ran his fingers through his beard. "Obviously, someone got in. That could mean many things."

"Sire, there's more."

He started. "What?" he demanded. "Don't hide anything from me, soldier, or I will see you punished!"

The soldier bowed. "It's the sealed door. It's been opened."

The king exchanged a worried glance with the minister. "That's…"

Jarrys would have paled even more, had it been possible. "That's not possible. That door hasn't been opened since…" He trailed off and turned to the guard. "Show me!"

A gust of wind blew out all the candles in the room. The whole castle was plunged into darkness.

"My king, are you alright?"

Gransel waved his hand before his face, but he could not see his fingers. "I'm fine, Minister," he rasped. "It's very dark. Just be careful not to trip or hurt yourself on the way out."

Jarrys grunted. "Too late," he muttered. "Are you going to be alright here on your own? Shall I call someone to stand guard over here?"

"No! Jarrys, go help the guard! I will be fine. I can take care of myself." Gransel took a deep breath and waved Jarrys and the guard out the door. "Go, before someone gets in there."

The two immediately left, stumbling over fallen candelabra and twisted rugs on the way out of the castle. Gransel could not help but stifle a laugh.

The laugh disappeared as he heard a strange sound behind him. A voice – not one of words, but a laugh. More of a dark chuckle, really. He whirled around to face what he knew was his throne.

He took a dagger from his belt. "Hello?" he called into the abyssal darkness. "Is someone there?" He took a few steps forward, and almost tripped on the steps leading to his throne.

Lightning flashed, and thunder roared. A dark shadow in the corner lit for a split second in the sudden flash of light, to show a figure. Gransel jumped back, but kept moving toward it.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "As king of Granseal, I order you to show yourself to me, and tell me who you are!" He slashed out, and managed to lose his hold on his knife. He cursed under his breath. "Show yourself! I command it!"

Another strike of lightning lit the room, and Gransel had just enough time to see the creature's face. It was green, with stunning blue eyes boring holes straight through the darkness. It walked forward, closer and closer to the king.

"Stop! Stay away!" Gransel begged. He turned away for a moment. "Someone, help! Come to me!"

The creature – it must have been a demon – began to chant. There was something in his voice that frightened Gransel more than the spell. It was triumph, victory.

_Oh Mitula, Volcanon, save me._

A strange vortex surrounded his frail body, and he spun. Around… and around… and around. He could not keep a scream from rising to his lips and ejecting from his throat.

The spinning stopped, and the creature chuckled again. Gransel fell to the floor and hit his head. He closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness that enveloped his mind.

_At least it's better than the demon…_


	2. Into the Castle

_A/N: I thought I would update. I know that it's not great quality, but I have fun writing it, and I hope you have fun reading it. It's way different from the game - just consider it an artist's rendition, though I am hardly an artist. :)  
>I do not own the original storyline or Sega or anything like that. :)<em>

_Chapter Two: Into the Castle_

K'taan woke up to his mother calling his name. He groaned and covered his face with his covers. "Ten more minutes, Mum. There shouldn't be school today; the storm should have destroyed the schoolhouse," he grumbled through three pillows and a comforter.

"K'taan, you get downstairs this instant!" His mother was growing impatient.

He growled again and flung the covers away. "Coming, Mother!" he called. "I'm coming." He took a handful of water from a nearby washbasin and splashed it across his face. He gasped as the cold water touched his face. "Gah!" He cursed quietly and wiped the excess moisture from his face.

"_K'taan!"_

He hissed. "I'm coming, Mother!" He pulled on a white tunic and wrapped a belt around his waist. He clipped a green cloak around his neck. His eyes turned to the mirror on his wall, surveyed himself quickly, and then ran downstairs to meet his mother.

His mother Orielle looked up from the meal she was cooking – peacock eggs, a chicken steak and orange zest – and smiled at K'taan. "Look who's up!" she teased. "Good morning, K'taan." She paused in her cooking and kissed his forehead.

He grinned and swatted her away. "Mum, I'm not a child anymore!" he laughed. But they both knew better – he loved her show of affection toward him. He embraced her and continued to laugh with her.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

He sighed, half-asleep despite his mother's arms around him and the cold water that hadn't quite dried around his collarbone. "The storm kept me up most of the night, and I had a ton of homework. Sir Astral has been really piling on the homework lately."

Orielle smiled and went back to her cooking. "I know, dear. But you are doing so much better under his leadership than you ever did in Yeel. Gransel is a fine place."

He sat down at the table and fingered his cloak. "I'm so tired." He rubbed his eyes. Even at the ripe old age of 18, he could not understand the use of school and what he learned there. He fell asleep at least once every day.

"Oh dear!" Orielle put the breakfast on a plate and placed it in front of K'taan. "Wake up, son. You're going to be late."

He groaned and picked up his head. "Did I fall asleep?" he yawned. "I'm sorry, Mum. I'm so tired."

"I know, K'taan. But you need to eat and go to school. Did you grab your practice sword?"

He shot out of his seat and ran up to his room. He threw clothes out of his way looking for his wooden sword. _Where is it? Where _is_ it?!_ His heart raced as he kept looking. He cursed over and over, under his breath and in his head.

Finally, he found it. He sighed and buckled it on his belt. "Phew," he sighed again. "Found it, Mum! Coming back down!" He jumped down the stairs three at a time, his long legs propelling him forward. His blonde hair flipped into his face a few times. He landed square on his feet and ran to the kitchen to eat his breakfast.

"Hurry, K'taan. You'll be late."

He wolfed down his breakfast. "Jaha's probably asleep right now," he grumbled, "and I bet Chester's half-asleep at school already." His eyelids drooped over his blue-gray eyes again, but he snapped out of his sleepy daze barely before it began. "I have to go, Mother. I'll see you after school." He jumped up and hugged Orielle again. "Be back soon!"

He felt her arms tighten around his shoulders. "I love you, K'taan. Be safe," she whispered. Her voice sounded wet, full of tears. "Promise you'll come home to me."

K'taan's face felt like it was on fire. "Mother, you've never had to worry about that before. Why now?" he whispered. He sighed and held her at arm's length. "I promise everything will be alright." He kissed her forehead. "I have to go. Bye, Mum! I'll see you soon!"

"It's the storm. Just… ask Astral about the storm today for me. Okay?"

He rolled his eyes, but he grinned all the same. "Alright. Bye!" He waved at her before closing the door behind him. He waited for a moment, tightening his belt by the door.

His mother was crying in the living room. He could hear her through the door. He frowned. _Why is she so worried today?_ He shook his head and ran to school.

K'taan paused at the door of the schoolhouse and straightened his collar. He could hear Sarah pacing inside. "Where is K'taan?" she wondered. "He should be here by now. Has something happened to him? Oh I wish I knew where he was."

He chuckled. Chester was snoring loudly, probably drooling all over his desk space. _For his sake, I hope he's keeping all that drool on _his_ side of the desk, and not making it pool all over mine too._ He grinned again and opened the door.

Sarah stopped pacing and met his eyes. "K'taan!" she sighed. "Thank the gods you're here." She walked up to him and hugged him, like they had done for years. He smiled and closed his eyes, hugging her back. His arms dropped to his sides hesitantly, and hers did as well. She backed away and cleared her throat. "Sir Astral is downstairs in his study. He keeps muttering about the storm. Something about evil omens and the meaning of the open doors." Her eyes fell to the floor. "I tried talking to him, but he said he wants to talk to you."

K'taan frowned. "Why me? Did he say?"

"No. But he was very grim, and more serious than I've seen him in a while." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Go talk to him. It's time to start."

He laughed, and Chester woke up. "Little Sarah, always so eager to learn," he sighed. He grinned as she blushed, and he moved toward the stairs.

Chester's hind quarters shuddered as he dropped his head back on his desk. His front hooves shuffled for a moment. "It's too early for this."

K'taan looked over. "It's always too early for you, buddy." He chuckled again. He snuck behind Chester, and put a finger to his lips toward Sarah. She giggled a little, and he smacked Chester's tail end.

Chester whinnied and shot up like an arrow. "I'm awake, Sir Astral!" he stammered, turning around. His eyes fell on K'taan, and he glared. "You are so lucky we've been friends for so long, K'taan, that's all I have to say." He reared on his hind legs for a second, threatening K'taan with his front hooves.

K'taan doubled over with laughter. "That," he hooted, "was the best reaction I've gotten out of you all year!" He whooped and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Oh, Chester, I'm glad we're friends." He looked up at the centaur, all jesting gone from his face. "You would be a powerful enemy. I'm glad we're on the same side." He held out his hand, and they grasped each other's wrists in a friendly gesture.

"K'taan." Sarah's voice was sharp with frustration and impatience. "I need you to go talk to Astral. It's time to start class." She snorted. "In fact, it's _well_ past time to start class. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go home."

K'taan looked over at her. "I've never heard you say that before, Sarah. Are you alright?" He walked to her and put his hands on her tiny shoulders. "You can tell me."

She blushed and pushed his hands off her shoulders. "I just need you to go get Astral. Okay?" she whispered. "I'm as tired as the rest of you, and I want to go home. The only way that's going to happen is if someone gets Astral."

He nodded his understanding and smiled. _This would be the perfect time…_ He shook his head and turned away. "Okay. I'm going." He tromped down the stairs into his teacher's study.

"Hm. Could it be a…? No, wait, that can't be right. It's not a…?" Astral's voice, strong but very old, floated up the stairs like a specter. "No, that doesn't fit either. I just don't understand…"

K'taan knocked on the door. "Sir Astral? Sarah said you wanted to speak to me." He opened the door and peeked his head through the doorway.

Astral sat at his desk, twisting his beard and pouring over book after book. He didn't look up from his work until K'taan stood right in front of him. "Oh, K'taan. Good morning," he sighed, his voice heavy and exhausted. "Sarah said it's time for class. I didn't want to get started until you got here. Is everyone here?" A look of fear and realization glazed his eyes for a moment, and he flung all of his books off his desk. "Wait!" he hissed. "Where is…?" He went through the bookshelf next to his desk, and then he stood and looked through every book on a different shelf, halfway across the room. "Where is it? Where is it?!" he muttered.

K'taan watched him for a moment, one eyebrow cocked and his arms folded. "Sir, what is it that you are looking for? And can't it wait until after class is over?" He stepped up beside Astral. "Sir Astral, everyone is getting impatient. Please, come and teach us." _So we can all go home…_

Astral's eyes were wide and feral. "No! I have to…" He paused and looked at K'taan. He grabbed the boy's shoulders in clawlike hands. "The storm, K'taan! What did you feel during the storm?"

K'taan remembered his mother's words. _It's the storm. Just ask Astral about the storm…_ "I didn't feel anything," he replied, "but my mother had a strange premonition. Like something bad is going to happen." He backed away enough so Astral dropped his hands. "Sir Astral, what does this have to do with anything?"

"Everything." Astral rubbed little circles into his temples. "Everything depends on the storm, and what it means. You're sure you didn't feel anything… evil?"

K'taan watched him with wary eyes. "No… Sir, are you quite all right?" he moved to go back up the stairs. "Never mind. We'll be waiting upstairs. We are eager to start our day."

Astral seemed to return to his old self then. "Ah, yes. The school day should have started long ago. I'm coming. And K'taan..." He turned to the boy again. "Don't mention this to anyone."

K'taan's blood froze. "Y-Yes, Sir. Not a word." He walked up the stairs feeling a darkness descend over him. _Something _is_ wrong. He and Mother are right. Things are changing, and not for the better._

Sarah met him at the top of the stairs. She must have noticed the disturbed look on his face, because she took his hand and asked what was wrong.

He met her eyes and shook his head. "I'm not allowed to say. Sir Astral has sworn me to secrecy." He sighed and slipped his hand out of hers. "Sarah, something is wrong. I just… I don't know how to explain it." He shook his head and tried to smile. "But I'm sure it will all work out. Pretty soon, everything will be back to normal."

She folded her arms and cocked a hip. She gave him the "I don't believe you, but okay" look. She ran her fingers through her dark blue hair and moved to her seat. K'taan followed suit.

Sir Astral emerged from the stairwell and sighed. He looked a hundred years old, much older than what he really was. _At least he has a smile on his face now._

"Good morning, class! I hope you –" He paused, looking straight at the empty seat by Sarah. "Where is Jaha?" he asked, more of a habit than a real question. "Slept in again. That lad and I…" He shook his head and opened his book. "Alright. Where did we leave off yesterday? Something about the history of Grans Island, right?"

Sarah opened her mouth to speak, and K'taan smirked. _Such a know-it-all. But there's something about her. Something in her eyes…_

"Sir Astral!"

Everyone jumped out of their seats, and Astral shouted in surprise. "Oh my! What is it? Who said that?" he asked. He put a hand over his heart.

A young soldier, barely older than K'taan himself, entered the schoolhouse. He saluted quickly, but Astral waved it down. "Sir Astral, something has happened! Minister Jarrys requests your presence immediately!"

The students turned to Astral, who was as pale as death. "Did he say why?" he demanded.

"Yes. The king has been injured, and we don't know how or why. He won't wake up to tell us what happened." The soldier gestured to the door. "Please, Astral, find out what has happened to King Gransel."

Astral nodded. "I will follow you, boy." He moved his attention to the rest of the class. "You all stay here and study. There will be a test on chapters ten and eleven tomorrow." He followed the soldier out of the schoolhouse.

K'taan and Sarah both groaned. Another test would be impossible to pass – not without Astral there to show them what to study.

Chester wasn't interested in the test at all. "Guys, something happened to the king!" he whispered. "Do you know what that means?" His eyes glittered with mischief.

K'taan grinned. "No school today!" he whooped. He stood up and did a happy dance.

Sarah stood up as well, but her face was more subdued. "Oh come on, boys. Read further into this." She also smiled. "K'taan, Chester, the king is sick, and Astral's not here to watch us. Do you know what that means?"

Chester's grin froze. "Um… no school?" he snickered. K'taan snickered too and gave Chester a high-five. They laughed and leaned back in their chairs, K'taan putting his feet up on the desk.

She glared. "No! It means that he doesn't know we left. Which means…" She grinned. "We can follow him into the castle!" She twirled around, her blue robes fluttering around her a little. "Guys, we can sneak into the castle and look around! Maybe we can meet Princess Elis!"

K'taan rolled his eyes. "You're always so excited to see the princess. Really, I don't see why." He sighed and dropped his feet to the floor. "Sarah, I'm sure she's just an ordinary girl. It's not like she's the most beautiful creature on earth." He wrinkled his nose. "She's just a girl with status. You wish you could be her."

She bit her lip and glared at him. "Fine!" she snapped after a moment of silent fuming. "If you guys don't want to come, then okay. I'll have all the fun looking at the _stables and horses_." She looked straight at Chester. "Or the _armory and blacksmith shop_." She focused on K'taan. She cocked her head in defiance and whirled on her heel. "I'll see you later. Have fun studying."

K'taan stood up. "Wait! I'm coming!" he called after her. "Don't leave, Sarah!"

Chester whinnied. "K'taan, you're not going, are you?" He grabbed a wooden stick from the corner of the room. "We could practice sparring, or – or we could actually study! What an idea, eh?"

K'taan snickered. "Oh, you're turning into a goody four-hoof, are you? Come on, this'll be fun! The horses will be huge and majestic, and the weapons… I'm just in it for the weapons." He laughed and grabbed the satchel he had brought with him that morning. "Come on. Don't you want to come too?"

Chester thought for a moment. As he was doing so, Sarah came back to grab a wooden staff that hung on the wall next to the bookshelves up front. "Come _on_, you guys! You're so slow!" she scoffed. "I would be halfway to the castle by now, had I not had to grab this. You know, it could come in handy later."

K'taan grinned. _Good old Sarah, so resourceful and…_ He stopped himself before he thought anymore on her. "Alright, let's go!" he whooped. "I'm ready for an adventure!"

Sarah smiled. "I knew you would be. Come on. Let's go!"

Chester sighed in acquiescence. "Fine. Let's go."

Sarah led the way, her robes fluttering and her bare feet barely touching the ground in her excitement. "Come on! You guys are so slow!" she called back to K'taan and Chester.

K'taan picked up his pace, but Chester still dragged his hooves. "Sarah, I just want to sleep! Can I go home?"

K'taan laughed. "Where's your sense of adventure, old friend? Come on – this is going to be awesome!" He pushed Chester forward by the shoulder.

Chester snorted and stumbled face first on the steps leading up to the castle. K'taan laughed, but stopped when Sarah glared at him.

"Come on, guys! Stop fooling around!" she hissed, putting her hands on her hips. "If we're going to pull this off, we need to –"

"Hey! What are you kids doing here?" someone shouted. "You should all be in school."

Sarah looked up at the guard that addressed them and gave him a charming smile. "Good morning, Cyril. How are you today?" she purred.

K'taan's chest tightened, and he forced himself to look away. He grinned, and he could feel his cheeks flush a little. He smacked his face a couple of times and looked back up.

Cyril bit his lip. "No, Sarah. You can't go in." He folded his arms, but K'taan could see the hint of blush along his high cheekbones under his visor. "I'm not allowed to let anyone into the castle right now."

Sarah's smile widened, and she walked closer to him. "Oh, come on, Cyril," she whined. "We need to take something up to Sir Astral. He left his medicine in the schoolhouse."

He held out his hand. "Stop, kid! I really could lose my job if I let you in." His voice was suddenly sharp and commanding.

She laid her hand on his wrist and pushed his hand down. She crept closer to him and pulled a parcel from under the folds of her robe. "I need to take this to Sir Astral, or the king will die. Cyril, you are preventing Astral from saving our sovereign." She put her lips next to his ear.

K'taan couldn't look anymore. He turned away and said to Chester, "I'm about ready to just force my way past that guard. You coming with?"

Chester sniggered. "You're just jealous because Sarah is flirting with the guard instead of with you." He pawed the ground and laughed under his breath. "Admit it, K'taan. You are so jealous."

K'taan punched Chester in the gut. "Shut up!" he hissed. "I am not!"

Chester grunted, but didn't double over. He cocked an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, K'taan. I saw you get all uncomfortable and look away. I saw your cheeks turn pink like a girl's when she sees you. You're just learning how all the girls feel when they look at you. Except you're not a girl, and you're watching Sarah."

He blushed a little, and he slapped himself. "Whatever." His chest tightened again. "Come on. I'm losing my patience with this son of a –" He turned in time to see Sarah slap the guard. He cheered silently.

"Cyril, let us in!" she complained. "We need to get this to Astral! The king will surely die if he doesn't get this!" Her voice rose. "Come _on,_ Cyril! Just let us in!"

Another guard approached the group. "Cyril, what's going on? Why is there so much yelling over here?" He raised the visor on his helmet and glared at Cyril, and then at each of the students in turn. "What are you kids doing here? You should be in school."

Sarah put her hands on her hips. "Hello to you too, Jett. We have to bring something to Sir Astral. He left it in the schoolhouse."

K'taan smiled as she showed the parcel to Jett. "Look at her, Ches. How would someone _not_ fall for her? She's smart, and adventurous, and sweet and beautiful." He swallowed and turned away again. "How did I never see it?"

Chester snickered again and shook his head. "Who knew the great K'taan T'kallys would fall for a simple elfin girl? This day will go down in history, my friend." He poked K'taan's shoulder and kept snickering. "History will someday remember this day and sigh."

K'taan rammed his fist into Chester's stomach. Chester doubled over and gasped as K'taan hissed, "I don't want to hear another word from you about this, Chester Padrin. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Chester winced and met his eyes. "Yes, _sir._ Really, you're getting to be a real bugger. Come on, you know I'm right."

K'taan glanced at Sarah, who was busy talking to Jett and Cyril. His chest tightened again, and he rubbed his neck and turned away finally. He felt his mouth pull up at the corners and he covered his face with his other hand.

Sarah looked over at them and saw Chester doubled over and K'taan hiding a grin. She shrugged and approached K'taan. "We're in," she beamed, and then she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Let's not ever do this again."

K'taan stopped smiling and eyed her with worry. He cocked an eyebrow. "Sarah, what did you do?" he demanded.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. I got us in, at least for a little while."

His stomach twisted. "Gods, girl, this had better be worth it." He walked past her, all in knots and tense to the core. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

Sarah grasped his hand before he could get away. "K'taan, are you… okay?" she asked. "You're a little pale…"

"I'm fine." He faked a smile, but she gave him her "I don't believe you, and I know something is wrong" look. He sighed and shook her off. "Come on. You got us in; let's not waste any more time."

She grabbed him by the shoulder. "K'taan." Her voice was stern, but still pleading. "Tell me what's wrong."

He rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Nothing. I just want to get this done. I want to see what weapons they use here." He tried to keep his voice level, but it quavered a little with frustration.

She must have noticed the quivering, because her hand slid from his shoulder to his arm. "K'taan, I got us in. I didn't want to do that either, but… it had to be done." She wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her chin on his right shoulder.

He stood there for a moment, his face burning. He embraced her back and buried his face in her blue hair. "You did a good job, Sarah." He smiled, and he relaxed in her arms.

"Thank you, K'taan." She let him go and met his eyes, a smile lighting her face entirely. She headed toward the gate, past Cyril and Jett, the former of whom was pink with embarrassment and the latter watching Sarah's every move with shining eyes.

K'taan followed her, and waited until she and Chester were further into the castle. Once they were past the portcullis, he grabbed Jett by the collar of his chainmail and held him against the wall.

Jett gasped and reached for his sword. K'taan knocked his hand away. "If you touch her like that ever again," he hissed, "I will come find you, and I will make sure that you rue the day you ever met both her and me. Do I make myself clear?"

Jett watched him with a wary eye, as if to grade how serious the boy was. After a moment of stillness, he nodded slowly. "As crystal," he growled with a rough edge to his voice. "Now if you'll excuse me, Master T'kallys, I have a duty to perform to my king." He waved him off, and K'taan let his hold slack. "Now move along, before I kick you all out of the castle."

K'taan let him go. "I'll leave with your word."

Jett barked out a laugh. "Have you ever kissed a girl, K'taan? You ever kissed someone like Sarah?" he whispered, pulling himself up to his full height. "You should try it sometime. Gives you a rush." He chuckled. "Especially with a girl like Sarah. She's a fighter."

K'taan bit his lip. "I could punch you, Jett. But I won't, because I don't want _my friends_ to get kicked out because of what I did." He clenched his hands into fists and folded his arms. "Give me _your word._"

"You… have my word, T'kallys."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Thank you." He ran forward after his friends, as they called his name with concern and impatience.


End file.
